OSWEGO, N.Y. — Just a day after another SUNY Campus, the College at Brockport, announced it would be suspending its wrestling program, another SUNY campus has made COVID-19 related changes.
SUNY Oswego announced several major changes to the college's operation on Sunday. The changes include the suspension of Greek Life events and all athletics programs for the rest of the semester, and the indefinite suspension of in-person dining and visitors to residence halls.
In a news release, the SUNY system stated that these changes were made following "recurring reports of reckless behavior from a small fraction of students largely living off campus whose actions jeopardize in-person learning for the entire college community."
"Hopefully, this sends a forceful and unequivocal message that if behavior does not change immediately the campus may have to suspend all campus services," SUNY Chancellor Jim Malatras said.
There were 34 new cases of COVID-19 at SUNY Oswego on Saturday, according to the news release. Of those cases, 31 are students living on-campus and count toward the 100 case state threshold for colleges.
The college had 82 cases counting toward the state threshold in its first 14 days of class. The second 14-day measurement period began on Saturday.
"Although SUNY Oswego is technically lower than the state guidance of 100 increased cases in 14 days, we are taking immediate actions out of an abundance of caution and in response to the issues of off-campus activities and parties," SUNY Oswego President Deborah Stanley said.
Students who violate student conduct rules on or off-campus could face automatic suspension, loss of athletic eligibility, or loss of Greek-life status. The college also warns that students who violate quarantine or isolation orders will be suspended immediately.
For students who eat on campus, all food will now be grab-and-go. It is now mandatory that students who live off-campus must either take classes fully remotely or get tested continually while attending on-campus classes.
